Author's note: Last chapter! Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! Especially Dwen's as she has enjoyed it so much! She does a wonderful job as well on her fics so I suggest you all read them! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Elenya by Shelly

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR


Lillisandra sat under a fair tree of Ithilien, letting the breeze caress her face as well as Legolas' hand as she lie against him, finally able to enjoy a moment of peace with him. After the battle they had retired here to regroup and Aragorn had summoned Merry to the Field of Cormallen for they planned a great celebration for the two heroes once they awoke. Frodo and Sam were still sleeping soundly after their ordeal, and she didn't blame them.

Soon Gandalf appeared, telling them that Frodo had awoken and had asked for her, and she rose to her feet with him as they followed the wizard. They found them lying on a soft pallet, and Sam was oblivious to the world around him as he slept soundly. But Frodo was sitting back against his elbows looking at his maimed right hand, of which Gollum had bit the third finger off, but if he hadn't then the Ring wouldn't have been destroyed.

"Frodo!" she cried, falling to her knees beside him and accepting his joyful embrace. "Oh, Frodo, I'm so glad you're alive!"

"Lilli, I missed you so much," he said, looking back and forth from her to Legolas. "Is it true...? Has my wish finally come true?"

She bit her bottom lip to hold back her tears of joy as she nodded her head. Oh, how good it was to see him again! Her answer only made him hold her tighter, and she soon felt his small body shake as if he were crying, and when she heard his sniffle she knew he was. Legolas leaned towards her and kissed her, telling her he would return as he wished to give them time alone.

She moved Frodo so that he was sitting in her lap, and she was alarmed at how light he felt but knew that soon everything would be all right. "Frodo, please tell me what's wrong," she pleaded in a soft voice.

He sighed as his tears subsided. "I'm just glad it's finally over," he said. "I don't ever want to go through that again. You don't know how many times I wished you were with me, and I would almost fall into despair, but then I would look at the ring you gave me and my heart would be lifted."

"You don't have to worry about that anymore," she said against his hair as her own tears escaped from beneath her lashes. "You're safe now, and I won't let anything happen to you. You don't know how worried I was that you had died and that I had lost you."

Then he looked up at her and brushed her tears from her face with his hand. "What about your ring?" he asked as he finally remembered that she had carried one as well. "And what about your homeland?"

"Elenya is destroyed as well," she replied, her voice sad. "And Silmarion, too."

His blue eyes widened. "Lilli, I'm sorry...I didn't know."

"How could you know?" she laughed. "You were busy saving us all from Sauron."

He shuddered in her arms then, perhaps remembering some horrible event, and she ran her fingers through his curls as she began humming a tune softly to him. "Lilli? Will you please stay with me awhile?" he asked.

"Of course," she smiled, continuing to hold him until he fell back asleep. Eventually he made her sleepy, and she laid him back down on the pallet as she eased herself down beside him as she drifted off to sleep herself.

When she awoke, he was huddled against her and had her hand in his, his dark lashes brushing against his cheeks as he slept deeply. Then she looked up to see Gandalf sitting nearby, and she smiled when his eyes fell upon her.

"He's quite fond of you, Lilli," he pointed out in a soft voice.

"I know," she replied as she lightly brushed her finger across his forehead, not wanting to wake him just yet as he looked so peaceful. "I love him as well, Gandalf. He sacrificed himself to destroy the One Ring, saving me from having to face Sauron. He could've just refused to go and left it up to me, but he bore it bravely, and I imagine there are more than a few scars on his soul to deal with."

"No doubtedly," he replied. "But he pulled through, and now there will be great tales to be told about him and Sam."

Sam stirred in his sleep as did Frodo, who gazed up at her through sleepy eyes, and she heard Gandalf speaking but never heard his words as she spoke with Frodo. "Have a nice nap?" she asked.

He nodded and smiled, and it was the first smile she had seen from him yet, and it lightened her heart to see it. "Thank you for staying, Lilli. I hope you weren't too bored."

She laughed. "No, as a matter of fact I fell asleep just watching you. It's good to see you feeling better."

"Frodo? Lilli!" Sam's voice cried. "How good it is to see you both!"

Frodo laughed as he sat up and spoke with his friend and loyal companion that had stayed by his side through all the perils of Mordor. She rose to her feet and quietly departed as she nodded to Gandalf and left to look for Legolas, finding him crouched by a stream and looking around him at the beauty of Ithilien.

She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. "Did you have a nice nap?" he asked her and laughed when he sensed her surprise. "I came back but you were sleeping, and I didn't want to wake you."

"I am sorry," she apologized. "I should've been here with you instead."

"Do not be," he assured her as he turned in her arms. "We have the rest of our lives together to spend as we will. But I do have a thing I wish to ask you."

"What is that?" she asked, wondering what he was up to.

"The beauty of this land is indescribable," he said. "I would wish to have some of my people come here and live, if my father would allow it. And I would wish you to share it with me as my wife," he added as he gazed into her eyes.

She was struck speechless as his words sunk in, and she hardly even felt it when he kissed her.

"You do not say anything," he observed. "I wonder if this is a good thing or a bad thing?"

She finally came to herself as she heard his words. "Of course I will marry you!" she cried as she embraced him once again. "You caught me off guard that's all. I thought that maybe you might wait till we returned to your homeland to speak of marriage. After all, your father might not approve of our match."

"I do not care what my father thinks," he said as she kissed her neck and chin. "I love you, and he'll just have to accept that. There's no one else I could ever possibly want in this world other than you."

She looked deep into his eyes, one thing thing she would never tire of doing as long as she lived. "I am sorry that I could not see this sooner. So much we could've shared together that just slipped through our fingers and all because of my stubborness to admit my feelings for you. I loved Boromir, and I guess he was a safe enough choice as he was mortal. I don't know why I was so afraid to admit my feelings for you. I guess that spending my entire life with someone scared me a little, but it bothers me no longer as I will love you as long as we live."

Then they sealed their promise with a love-filled kiss, never knowing that the King stood nearby watching them with a smile on his face as he knew everything would now be all right.

****************

Awww! I said this would be a happy ending! Thanks for reading everyone and sticking through with it! I know it was long and drawn out. Thanks again! C-ya!